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Isham Chisum was born 5 Aug 1818 in Mississppi, the seventh child and fourth son of namesake Isham Chisum and Permellia Roberts. His father hailed from Virginia, born about 1775 and his mother was born in Kentucky circa 1780, the daughter of George Roberts and Rhoda Walling. They married in 1804. His father died in 1829 in Covington , MS. His mother died in TX in 1852. Isham came to Texas by the year 1844. On July 22, 1844, in Sabine 1844 he signed land records of his brother-in-law, Thomas J Roberts. He is listed as a Tax Payer in Rusk County in 1846. He was enumerated on the 1850 Rusk County Census with his wife, children and his mother, Permellia. There he is listed as a Slave Owner - reporting 4 slaves - ages 18, 19, 22 & 52.
Isham moved his family to Kaufman County in 1854. Tax Rolls document that he was a Slave owner in the years 1855, 1856 & 1857, with 14 slaves worth 7000.00. In 1858 he reported 7 slaves worth $4650.00, in 1859 he reported 8 salves worth $5000.00 and in 1860 he reported 7 slaves worth $4200.00. On 29 June 1860, Isham and family were enumerated on the 1860 Kaufman County Census, living in the town of Rockwall:
In 1861 Isham Chisum was elected to attend the Texas Secession Convention in Austin, where on Feb. 1st, 1861 he signed the Texas Ordinance of Secession. On June 13th, 1861 Isham enlisted in the Confederate States Army and was officially sworn in as Captain of Co F 3rd Texas cavalry under the commander of Col. E.B.Greer, Lt. Col. W.P.Lane, Major C.W.Chilton. Greer's Cavalry Regiment was the first Texas Cavalry Regiment to be mustered for out of state service in the Civil War. By July 13th the unit headed toward the border of Texas armed with 1547 pistols, 226 shotguns, 352 Long arms, 100 assorted carbines and 52 sharps carbines. They report to General Ben McCulloch. Later in the war, in March 1863, at Fairfield TX and under the command of Col. B. Warren Stone, Isham served as Lt. Col. and later as Colonel of Co K of the 2nd Partisan Rangers. The 2nd regiment went to Louisiana in May 1863. There they were involved in numerous skirmishes in southeastern Louisiana, among which were the battle at Donaldsonville on 28 Jun 1863 and Bayou Bourbeau on 3 Nov 1863. In December 1863 the 2nd returned to Texas and were stationed at Virginia Point near Galveston Island. However their stay in Texas was short, for in March 1864 the Union launched the Red River Expedition, an attempted invasion of Texas from Louisiana and Arkansas. Chisum's regiment - as it was by then known - was engaged in the battles of Mansfield, LA, on April 7th 1864 and and Pleasant Hill, LA, on Apr 9th, the later of which turned back the Union advance. The 2nd regiment remained in Louisiana through August 1864 and in September 1864 Chisum's cavalry was ordered to Arkansas where the most notable event of their regiment there was the skirmish at Hurricane Creek, near Benton, AR on October 23, 1864. By January 1865, Chisum's regiment was back in Texas. It escorted a group of prisoners from the prisoner-of-war camp at Tyler to Shreveport in February, and at Shreveport the regiment was dismounted in order to serve as infantry. After it was dismounted, Chisum's regiment returned to Texas, and it disbanded near Houston in May 1865. Two of Isham's sons served beside him in the Civil War - Felix & John T Chisum both enlisted and served in the 2nd & 3rd Cavalry reginments. After returning to Kaufman County following the war, Isham resumed his life as a farmer but under conditions he found intolerable. Along with the loss of his slaves through emancipation he was forced to liquidate land and asserts to satisfy debts incurred by him during the war years. He was nearly destitute financially and in spirit, and immediately after the Civil War he seriously contemplated joining some of the men who had served in the Confederacy and who after the war moved to Mexico and Central America. It is believed the war took a toll on Isham in many other ways and not only would leaving the country mean leaving his family, but he was just not physically able to make such a drastic move at that time in his life. In 1869 Isham moved to Bandera County to live with his son, Isham Jr. His wife had died and he had either sold all his land. There Isham died in 1884 and he is buried in the Vanderpool Cemetery. **NOTE: The date of death for Isham Chisum of 1876 which is listed on the Wall of Honor is incorrect. CHILDREN of ISHAM CHISUM & CHARLOTTE MARTIN
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A Texas State Historical Marker was placed on the Kaufman County Courthouse lawn in 1971 having the following inscription:
Colonel One of the leading early citizens of Kaufman County, represented the county in Texas Succession Convention, Jan. - Mar. 1861. Later in 1861, he fought in Confederate Cavalry of Col. Tom Green in New Mexico Campaign. As Colonel of 2nd Partisan Rangers, Waller's Division, fought at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill (LA), in Red River Campaign to prevent a federal invasion of Texas in 1864. A cousin of Jesse Chisholm, who pioneered famous Chisholm Cattle Trail, and of cattle baron John Simpson Chisum. Col. Chisum married Charlotte Martin. They have many descendants in Texas. (1971) Coordinator of the Kaufman County, TXGenWeb Project site ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
